


a twinkle of safety amidst this hell

by szethsmom



Series: Critical Role Snippets [1]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: (mentioned only) - Freeform, (sends hugs to every critter who survived that AGONIZING episode), Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Campaign 2 (Critical Role), Canon-Typical Violence, Critical Role Spoilers, Developing Friendships, Essek loves his nein idiots and wishes they had come to him sooner, Happy Ending, I'm resisting the urge to edit this more.... hhhh, Post-Episode 123, [well. as much as there could be given the circumstances], no beta we die like the nein almost did, nope. unfiltered 3:30am Vin it is
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-29
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-15 12:13:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29064132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/szethsmom/pseuds/szethsmom
Summary: “Shadowhand, sir, there are... well, you’d better come see for yourself.” Essek nearly bowled over the messenger as he flung the door open wide and took off down the hall.Please, let them be alright.
Relationships: The Mighty Nein & Essek Thelyss
Series: Critical Role Snippets [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2132352
Comments: 5
Kudos: 104





	a twinkle of safety amidst this hell

**Author's Note:**

> **MASSIVE SPOILERS FOR EPISODE 123**
> 
> Inspired by Caduceus' Commune, fueled by me being stressed af at 3:30 in the morning. A girl's gotta cope, and apparently right now that means taking matters into my own hands. >_<
> 
> Originally posted on my tumblr @szethsmom

“Shadowhand!” A panicked voice sounded outside the door, jolting Essek from his ruminations. He quickly crumpled the letter, still clutched in a deathgrip in his left hand, and tucked the wad of paper safely into a sleeve pocket.

“Yes?” he called, pasting on a cool smirk to make up for the way his voice cracked.

“Shadowhand, sir, there are... well, you’d better come see for yourself.” He nearly bowled over the messenger as he flung the door open wide and took off down the hall. _Please, let them be alright._

To say it was bad was an understatement.

Fjord led the remaining shambles Mighty Nein into the outpost’s small atrium. He looked... suspicious. In shock. Ready to kill anyone who so much as moved too quickly. Yasha staggered in behind him, supporting a semi-conscious Caleb on one side, and an all but dead Beau on the other. Beau’s eyes--gods _,_ her _eyes_ \--were still leaking blood, and Caduceus looked to be in similar shape. Veth caught his gaze and slowly, intentionally checked that her crossbow was loaded. Did they really distrust him so? _Not that you have ever given them reason to trust you._

No, he needed to stop wallowing in self-pity and analyze the situation with unclouded eyes. The Nein were often... difficult for Essek to read, so he instinctively sought out the most overtly emotive member. Jester. Was Jester here?! A split second of panic gripped his chest, then relief, as the tiefling woman stepped inside at the tail end of the group.

Essek started in shock as she immediately staggered over and knelt on the floor in front of him. Fjord stepped up to her shoulder, not saying anything, but eyes conveying a silent threat. _One wrong move and you’re dead, you floaty fuck._

“J-jester?” he finally managed, “what-- what happened?”

“What does it look like; we got our asses handed to us,” Caleb snapped, obviously in too much pain to care about niceties.

“Essek, are you going to help us?” Jester croaked miserably, “or are you going to try to kill us too? It seems like that’s what everyone else we’ve ever met is trying to do today.”

Heart sinking, his feet dropped to the ground, and then he was kneeling next to her. “Friends,” he whispered, looking out at the bedraggled group, “my-- _my_ friends. I was always going to help you. You will be safe here.” Essek swallowed hard. _Might as well say it._ “There is nothing I can swear upon to convince you, because nothing in my life has ever meant as much as you do. I do not know with what dark forces you have become entangled, but know this: I will protect you with my life.”

Jester let out a noisy sob and pulled him into a tight hug. Essek, fortunately, managed not to flinch at the sudden touch; indeed, as the rest of the Nein crawled in around them to rest, clinging to him and each other as much as possible, he found that it rather felt like home.


End file.
